Stanley B. Block
Professor Block teaches financial management and investments at Texas Christian University, where he received the Burlington Northern Outstanding Teaching Award and the M. J. Neeley School of Business Distinguished Teaching Award. His research interests include financial markets, mergers, and high-yield bonds. He has served as president of the Southwestern Finance Association and is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a Certified Cash Manager. He enjoys sports and has run the NY Marathon. Professor Block holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin, an MBA from Cornell University, and a Ph.D. from LSU.

In 2001, his former students established the Dr. Stan Block $1.5 million Endowed Chair in Finance at Texas Christian University. He is the first chairholder of the named chair.

Geoffrey A. Hirt
Dr. Hirt is currently Professor of Finance at DePaul University. He received his Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, his MBA from Miami University of Ohio and his BA from Ohio-Wesleyan University. Geoff directed the Chartered Financial Analysts Study program for the Investment Analysts Society of Chicago (now the CFA Institute of Chicago) from 1987 to 2001 and was on the Board of Directors of the CFA Institute of Chicago from 2002 through 2005. He was also Director of Equity Research at Mesirow Financial from 1998 to 2001. Dr. Hirt developed the real dollar investment fund at Illinois State University, taught real dollar investment classes at TCU, and is currently teaching the real dollar portfolio management course at DePaul University.

From 1987 to 1997, he was chairman of the Finance Department at DePaul University and is currently teaching investments and corporate fi nance. He developed and was director of DePaul’s MBA program in Hong Kong and also served as the director of international programs for the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul. He has taught CFA review courses in the United States, Germany, and Thailand and has taught graduate investments courses in DePauls overseas programs in Prague and Hong Kong.

Geoff has been investing since he was 12-years-old and it is something he has a great passion for. He plays golf, is a music lover, and enjoys traveling with his wife, Linda.